How can I make my own home-made cola drink?

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I would like to make my own cola drink from natural ingredients (or as natural as possible).
I have no idea what goes into a cola, so I don't know if this is even possible.
I realise that each manufacturer has their own "secret sauce", but I assume that there must be a fairly common base of ingredients which will yield a that essential cola taste.

I would check at you local coffee shop to see if they make Italian Sodas, most do, and see if they have a cola syrup. We make Italian Sodas at home with a carbonator and different blends of syrup. The kids have never pursued a "cola" and prefer lemon and other fruit flavors. We've found some syrups that the worst ingredient is sugar and it seems to work fine.

Red Bull makes a cola that is more what I would expect homemade cola to taste like. It has a list of ingredients you could buy in the bulk spice section of a really good grocery store. When I make it, this is what I will be using. I would recommend tasting it as well. It has a tea like taste. (Here it is: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Bull_Cola)

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